Field of the Inventions
The present inventions relate generally to handlebar grips including, but not limited to, bicycle handlebar grips, and handlebar assemblies including the same.
Description of the Related Art
Handlebar grips are used to make gripping handlebars more comfortable, to prevent the rider's hands from slipping, and to improve the rider's grip on the handlebar. The grips are commonly formed from relatively soft materials such as, for example, silicone, rubber, foam rubber, leather or the like.
The present inventor has determined that conventional handlebar grips are susceptible to improvement. For example, many conventional handlebar grips are either cylindrically shaped or include a middle region that bulges radially outwardly. The present inventor has determined that such handlebar grip configurations result in an uneven distribution of palm pressure and cause the rider's palm to create excessive pressure on the ulnar nerve and ulnar artery. The excessive pressure can result in numbness and tingling in the ring and little (or “pinkie”) fingers, or hand weakness, or a combination of the two.